The train pulled into the station with an eerie squeal before the smoke and steam billowed out of its engine. We stood, Βοήθεια flying onto my shoulder with a slight chirp. She's behaving better now, luckily.
"What about the bags?" I asked, looking back in the compartment. My rucksack was now residing inside my suitcase – kind of defeating the point of having it with me, but anyway.
"They get them for you. C'mon." Draco said, already walking off. I rolled my eyes, sighing, and brushed my fingers through the black ringlets of my hair before following them.
I stepped down from the train steps, looking around at the swarm of black cloaked students who were now pushing and shoving their way through the crowd.
"Firs' years!Firs' years o'er 'ere!" I recognised the voice that was calling, and spotted the owner immediately against the swarm of small heads. I made my way over to Hagrid, Draco and his 'boys' behind me.
"'Ello 'er Midnight." Hagrid grunted.
"Hello." I replied, but I knew he wasn't listening to me. He carried on yelling until the station seemed to die down, and only the smallest of us – first years – were left.
"I'm Hagrid. Grounds and game keeper at Hogwarts. Follow me." He turned and began to walk away. Draco looked at me, and I raised an eyebrow before following. Βοήθεια chirped and took flight, soaring past Hagrid's head as we walked. We were almost like a troop, led by the man who must surely be a giant, or at least half giant, marching through the dark in our black robes on a seemingly endless path. I heard chatting behind me from the masses, and Draco was muttering to Crabbe and Goyle about how he would never have had to walk anywhere at home and how Hogwarts was all a big joke already, when we reached the lake edge. There were boats lining it, and Hagrid turned to us, holding up his lantern, illuminating his aged face covered in bushy beard.
"Now 'er will be no shovin' or pushin'. Four per boat. 'Op in, 'n' don't fall in!" Hagrid called out, his voice echoing into the sky. Draco muttered about how stupid and trivial it was, and how he'd be having words with his father about it. I rolled my eyes and got in the boat closest.
"Are you coming or what?" I asked impatiently. After a moment's hesitation, Draco nodded and motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to get in first. I rolled my eyes as he got in, and looked around as other first years boarded their boats. I spotted Harry and a ginger boy getting into one of the other boats, and watched them for a second or so before our own boat seemed to slip forwards. The other boats did the same, some of them nearly capsizing from the force of it, but no one fell in. I noticed how one girl began to cower away from the water, sticking to the middle. It would be funny if I could turn the boat over, but I think someone would notice if I jumped out of my own boat and capsized theirs.
The caste towered above the lake like it was from a glorious fairy tale. A fairy tale I'd never thought I'd be in. And with all the people around me, not to mention more inside… I am going to have a lot of fun here! Not fun for everyone else, but fun for me. I wonder how quickly it will take them to turn on each other.
As I pondered over this, the boats came to a halt and we moved to the castle gates where we were met by an elderly woman in a stereotypical witch's costume. I tried not to snigger. She surveyed us all with her scanning eyes before introducing herself as Professor McGonagall, professor of Transfiguration and head of Gryffindor house. She turned and lead us all inside to a set of big wooden double doors. Then she faced us all again.
"Inside these doors is the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your houses. There are four houses, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be like your family. If you follow the rules, you will receive points for your house. Break any rules, and you will loose points." She paused for a moment, and then turned back to the doors, opening them dramatically. We followed her inside, past long tables filled with students, the ceiling seemingly missing, a night sky above filled with stars. Quite spectacular. At the front was another table, lined with staff, and in front of it, a stool with a brown hat. Professor McGonagall walked up to it, and stood by it, unrolling a scroll of parchment. She began to call out names, and students walked up to the front, sat on the stool with the hat on their heads, and the hat would yell out a name. I kept zoning in and out of the names and the response, only catching a few.
"Bones, Susan."
"Hufflepuff!"
"Bullstrode, Millicent."
"Slytherin!"
"Crabbe, Vincent."
"Slytherin!"
"Goyle, Gregory."
"Slytherin!"
"Granger, Hermione."
"Gryffindor!"
"Longbottom, Neville."
"Gryffindor!"
"Malfoy, Draco."
"Slytherin!" So Draco did get into Slytherin after all.
"Potter, Harry." There was murmuring as Harry went up, and the hat was silent for a while, before finally yelling out,
"Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table cheered, and clapped excitedly. More names were called, and then it got to me.
"Smith, Midnight." McGonagall said clearly. I stepped up to the hat, sitting quietly. Then the hat began to talk to me.
"What a striking resemblance." it began "Both the brains and the cunning of your father will surely serve you well, but there's a slyness, oh yes, though the lack of loyalty to those other than your parents makes me wonder. I think your bravery is outweighed this time, it has to be… Slytherin!" I stood as the Slytherin table clapped enthusiastically, and I moved away, sitting next to Draco, who grinned at me smugly. I saw Harry look over in my direction, and I smiled at him briefly, raising an eyebrow, before turning back to the front and watching as the last few people were sorted.
"Told you we'd get in Slytherin." Draco said, a snigger in his voice. "It's by far the best house."
"Only now that I'm in it." I said back to him, and he laughed under his breath, before a feast erupted onto the table, and we tucked into the meal. My father must have been in Slytherin for the hat to talk about him as cunning. That's why the Slytherin's went to Slytherin, right, because they were sly and cunning. Well, that was me all right. I guess I haven't really thought about it before but, I guess I don't really have any loyalties. I'm loyal to Nemesis, as she understands me, and drives my passion to cause mayhem. And dad... well, dad's dead isn't he. How can I be loyal to someone who's dead. But, I will find his killer. And they'll be sorry they didn't kill me right along with him.